Sheet-metal box or tray.



R. F. HAMILTON 61 D. L'IPSICH.

SHEET METAL BOX 0R TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-'5. 1913. RENEWED JUNE I6. 1915.

' 1,148,016. Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. F. HAMILTON & D; LIPSICH.

SHEET METAL BOX 0R TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-5,1913. RENEWED JUNE 16, 1915.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuMl-HA PLANOGRAPl|-CD., WASHINGTON. D. c,

RICHARD F. HAMILTON AND DAVID LIPSIGH, OF NEW"YORK, 'N. Y.; SAID LIPSICH ASSIGNOR TO SAID HAMILTON.

SHEET-METAL SBOX OR TRAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD F. HAMIL- TON and DAVID LIrsIoH, citizens of the United States of America, residing at New York city, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, and New York city, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Boxes or Trays, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to metal receptacles for holding and carrying bottles and the like and comprises certain improvements on the form of box shown in our previous application, SerialNo. 737,549, filed December 18, 1912.

The best form of our invention at present known to us is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a general plan ofthe box, with parts broken away and shown in section. Fi 2 is an enlarged detail vertical section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of one of the longitudinally extending strips forming the compartments in the box. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the transversely extending strips, and Fig. 5 shows a modification.

Throughout, the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

The shell 1 of the box is preferably formed of one piece of sheet metal, such as galvanized iron or tin plate, which is bent at right angles so as to form the two ends and sides of the box and the abutting ends are soldered or welded, or otherwise fastened together at one corner. The metal sheet/is given an inward fold 2, forming a rib running around the box approximately midway of its height. This stiffens the shell andalso serves as a fastening means for the rack to be hereafter described. Around the upper edge of the shell of the box is placed the folded strip .3, preferably made of heavier metal pinched or otherwise fastened into close contact therewith, and having the inwardly projecting flange 4 formed on its lower inner edge. The metal 5 stamped out to form the hand hole 6 in each end of the box is preferably folded into this flange 4. As the metal forming flange 4 is cut out diagonally or mitered at the corners, 7, 7, to form said corners, the continuity and strength of the flange is assured by inserting the corner Specification of Letters Patent. I P t t d July 27, 1915 Application filed February 5, 1913, Serial No. 746,373. Renewed June 16, 1915.

Serial No. 34,562.

pieces 17 Inside of the box shell and below rib 2, is set the rack which forms a series of pockets to hold the bottles or other articles to be held in the box. This rack is composed of a series of longitudinally ex: tending partition strips 8, 8, and another series of transversely extending partition strips 9, 9. One series of strips, as 9, 9, are slotted as at 14, 14, to permit the other series of strips 8, 8, to pass therethrough and so. form the rack. lVhen the two sets of strips are thus interlocked b 8, 8, through slots 14, 14, in strips 9, 9, a series of compartments are formed between these partitions,-and if the strips 8 and 9 are properly fastened together a rack is formed thereby. To conveniently fasten the strips in proper position to effect this and also to we bend the upper strengthen the strips, and lower edges of the strips 8 and 9 to form horizontally extending flanges on either side, 10 being the top flange and 11 the bottom flanges on strips 8, 8, are cut and bent up to form upwardly extending lugs 12, which latter consist of projecting portions of the metal which has been bent to form the top flange 10. In the same way upwardly projecting lugs 21 are formed on the strips 9. The projecting portions of the strips 8, 8, which have been folded over to form the bottom flange 11, are bent downwardly at right angles to form lugs 13 and similar lugs at the bottom of strips 9, 9, are formed as shown at 22. The rib 2 is slotted at the proper points to receive lugs 12 and 21, when the rack is inserted in the shell of the box from the bottom, and said lugs are then bent down, as shown in Fig. 2 to clench the parts together. To stiffen the cut edges of transverse strips 9, 9, formed by slots 14, 14, the strips may be corrugated as shown at 23, 23, in Fig. 5. To lighten the structure the strips 8, 8, may be perforated as at 24. A heavy folded strip 15 is then placed over and around the bottom edge of the box shell and the lugs 13 and 22, and pinched together to hold the parts in place. Preferably the inner portion of this strip 15 is bent downwardly and then inwardly to form the bottom flange 16 for the box. The top flanges 10 are bent downwardly at intermediate points of intersection of the partition strips 8, and 9, so as to produce an approximately circular opening at the top of each compartslipping the strips flange in each strip. The ends of the upper ment in the rack, as shown in Fig. 1. The dotted circles 20, 20, represent the outline of bottles or other cylindrical objects set in the compartments in the rack in the tray or box.

The mode of making and using our invention is as follows: The strips 8 and 9, forming the partitions, being interlocked, as above described, to form the rack, are placed in the box or shell formed by assembling the sheet metal 1, and top folded strip 3. The upwardly projecting lugs 12 and 21 are passed through slots formed in the rib 2 and bent down, as shown in Fig. 2, to clench the connection. The bottom folded strip 15 is then pinched over lugs 13 and 22, thus securely fastening the rack in position in the shell or box, and completing the structure.

The bottom flanges 11 of the strips are made wide enough, as shown in Fig. 1, to extend part way under the bottoms of the bottles or other circular objects placed in the compartments and support the same. The bottom flanges of one set of partition strips, as 9, 9, may be countersunk at the points of intersection with flanges of the other strips 8, 8, as shown at 25, so that the upper exposed surfaces of both flanges will be in the same plane, and equally serve to support the bottles.

The advantages of a box formed in accordance with our invention comprise its lightness, stiffness and durability resulting from the fact that it is made wholly of sheet metal bent and folded so as to produce stifiening means and ample interlocking portions. There are no metalrods to rust or produce friction which will wear through the adjacent metal sheet. The bottom flange or ledge 16 forms a smooth, stiff rib upon which the box may be freely shoved around on the floor without catching or bending and this, together with the top bead and flange and the intermediate folded rib give the box ample stiflness against twisting and bending strains, while the bottle rack acts as a brace or forms an additional means of securely holding all sides of the shell together so that they are prevented from bending either outwardly or inwardly. When boxes are piled one upon another the Copies of this patent may be obtained for bottom flanges 16, 16,nest inside the top folded strip 3 and folded strips 15 rest on the top folded strip 3, thus partly telescoping one box into another and forming a practically rigid structure. 1

Having, therefore, described our invention, we claim:

1. A metal box for carrying bottles and the like composed of a sheet metal shell and a rack formed of metal partition strips crossing each other at right angles and fastened to the shell, both sets of said partition strips being folded over to form top and bottom flanges extended horizontally, and one set of partition strips having their web portions intermediate of said flanges out to permit the passage of the other set of partition strips longitudinally therethrough, all the top flanges being bent downward intermediate of the intersection points of the two sets of strips to form an approximately circular upper opening for each compartment in the rack.

2. A metal box for carrying bottles and .the like composed of a rectangular sheet metal shell, said shell having an inwardly folded rib, slotted at convenient points, running around it intermediate of its height, and a rack formed of intersecting metal strips having projecting lugs adapted to pass through said slots and engage said rib so as to fasten the rack in the shell.

3. A sheet metal rack adapted for holding bottles and the like comprising sheet metal strips folded along their top and bottom edges to form each strip into an I-beam cross section, the webs of certain of the strips being cut to permit the insertion of the other strips therethrough to form the rack, the lower flanges of the cut strips being countersunk at the point of intersection with the flanges of the other strips so that the upper surfaces of the lower flanges of all strips shall be in the same plane when the rack is formed by assembling them.

RICHARD F. HAMILTON. DAVID LIPSIGH.

lVitnesses:

A. PARKER-SMITH, M. G. CRAWFORD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

WashingtonQI). G. 

